LILLEY: Crime stats show spike in violent crime under Trudeau

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Violent crime is up 50% since the Trudeau government took office, murders are up 28% since 2015.

Those were the numbers the Conservatives were pointing to after Statistics Canada released their police-reported crime statistics for 2023.

While officially StatsCan says the crime severity index was up just 2% over the last year, the Conservatives were quick to point to the raw data to tell a different story since the Liberals took office nine years ago.

In 2015, there were 382,115 violent crimes reported to police across the country, but in 2023 there were 572,572. That’s an increase of 49.84%, or 50% if we round up, since the Trudeau Liberals took office.

On the homicide front, there were 609 counted by police in 2015 but 778 in 2023 – a 27.75% increase. The total number of homicides since Trudeau took office has never been as low at 609 and last year was at 882 or a 45% increase during the Trudeau years.

Auto theft is up 46%, sexual assaults up 75%, violent firearms offences up 116% and extortion up by 357%.

Just as Trudeau likes to tell you that you haven’t had it so good economically as Canadians struggle with the cost of living, his government will try to tell you they are tough on crime and taking public safety seriously.

They are clearly not and these numbers back this up.

At a campaign-like event in London, Ont., Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pointed out that even Justice Minister Arif Virani has had his car stolen three times.

“This is the same guy who said that crime wasn’t rising. It was just a perception. He said that Canadians were just believing crazy conspiracy theories about crime and that the smart people who stare at screens and look at spreadsheets knew better,” Poilievre said.

“Well now the spreadsheets are out, and they confirm that catch-and-release wacko NDP liberal policies have caused one of the worst crime waves in Canadian history.”

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It’s not clear that this is the worst crime wave in Canadian history, but things are not good at the moment and no amount of Liberal spin can change that. Crime is up across the country and the Trudeau government has no plan to deal with this.

The government has lowered sentences for serious crimes, including gun crimes. They have made bail nearly automatic with requirements to release those arrested as quickly as possible with the least onerous conditions.

Late last year, the feds were pressured into passing bail reforms that made bail tougher to get for some gun crimes and intimate partner violence. For the rest of the offenders, the near automatic release is what remains in the legislation that every judge and justice of the peace must follow.

Last week, 18 men were arrested on auto theft in Peel Region, west of Toronto, and nine of them had made bail before police held their news conference. Among those arrested were two who had been released on bail and failed to meet their conditions and five who were in breach of probation conditions.

That’s why every provincial premier, across all party lines, wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week to ask for further bail reform.

“This is the direct result of NDP-Liberal catch and release policies that turn the same repeat offenders loose on our streets again and again and again,” Poilievre said about the rise in crime.

Liberals can try to dismiss him, but the statistics from the government’s official agency back Poilievre up.

It’s not that Canada feels less safe due to increased crime, the stats show that the increase in crime is real.

blilley@postmedia.com